Old McCale Had A Farm
by Angelus1
Summary: OK, I know the title's really silly, but the story's not. Challenge response.


Title: Old McCale Had a Farm   
  
Author: Angelus  
  
E-mail: angelus1317@hotmail.com (Please put "McCale" on the subject line.)  
  
Subject: Dark Angel  
  
Category: MLR  
  
Rating: A strong PG-13  
  
Summary: OK, I know the title's really silly, but the story's not. Challenge response.  
  
Spoilers: None that I can think of.  
  
Archive: Anywhere, just let me know first.  
  
Disclaimer: Big surprise, I don't own Max, Logan, or any other Dark Angel characters. They are the property of James Cameron, Charles Eglee, Cameron-Eglee productions, and the Fox network. Jamie, Pete, Amy, and Susan Siznal belong to me, however, Jamie and Amy being named after dear friends. Amy - Can't wait for more Instrument Switch Week fun like last year with Drag Queen. Hey - what did one pant leg say to the other? Jamie - Good luck with Pete. Break a leg, but don't bend over. Up against the wall!  
  
Author's Notes: Ugh - I'm *finally* finished!!!! It started out good, but I started slogging through near the end - I'm sure you can tell where. AndI'm sure that you also realize, if you've seen other responses to this particular challenge, that it was due a month ago. However, I got confused and missed the deadline. Having no reason to hurry anymore, I got lazy and didn't finish it until now, but here it is, so enjoy.  
  
Dedication: To Emily, for her gracious contribution of ideas, and to the Siznals for introducing me to the wonderful world of drama and tech. "Jonathan - the master wants you for his bride." And Jen - we miss you!!  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
"Oh, please tell me you're not one of those people: Because a raindrop fell in the ocean 10,000 years ago, and a butterfly farted in India, you and I are  
sitting right here, right now, enjoying a cup of coffee that tastes like goat  
piss." "Anything's possible." "Unravel this mystery, grasshopper: What is the  
sound of one hand hitting you upside your head, hmm?" - Max and Sam, "411 on  
the DL"  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
"I'm bored," Max complained, shifting restlessly in her seat.  
  
"So go climb a tree or something and let me concentrate on the road,"Logan replied from the driver's seat. "I haven't been up here for years."  
  
"So why am I here now?"  
  
"It's just going to be a short trip - as soon as Susie's home safe, we'll leave. You didn't *have* to come along, you know."  
  
"Stop talking about me like I'm not even here," begged a small voice from the back seat of the Aztec. "And please stop calling me Susie. My name is *Susan*." Logan frowned.   
  
"I've been calling you Susie since you were born," he protested.  
  
"And I hate it," the eleven-year-old replied sullenly. Max and Logan shared a look, eyes rolled skyward, and continued the ride in silence.  
  
Just yesterday, Susie - *Susan*, the daughter of a childhood friend of Logan's family, had appeared at Logan's door (effectively ruining a perfectly good make-out session), determined to run away from home. Max, being a runaway herself, had sympathized with the child initially, but then Logan had assured her that not only did Susan come from a wonderful family, but she also had a tendency towards being a drama queen.  
  
Still, Max had insisted on accompanying the two as Logan returned Susan to her home in Bellefleur, Oregon. Partly to judge the authenticity of Logan's claims for herself, partly to keep Susan from killing him. Needless to say, the girl wasn't too happy about the couple's  
decision to send her back home, and she had already managed to take out some of her frustration on one of Logan's dinner plates last night.  
  
Hours later, Max glanced over her shoulder to peer at the child in the back seat. Her chin met her chest, and though her long red hair curtained around her face, obscuring it from Max's view, the child's deep breaths and relaxed body position told her that she was asleep. With a satisfied smile, Max turned to the man sitting next to her.  
  
"You know, we never got to finish yesterday," she teased, running her hand up his thigh. He sucked a breath and didn't reply, but his physical response was good enough for Max. "And we're going to have to stop somewhere, right?" she continued, fumbling with his zipper. At that moment, Logan found a cheap-looking motel, pulled into the parking lot, and turned the key in the ignition, shutting the engine off. Max slid immediately into his  
lap, slipping her hands inside his pants.  
  
"Oh, God, not now, Max," he panted. "Wait until we get inside." She pouted, but climbed off of him anyway. Logan managed to balance the small amount of luggage that they had between the three of them in his arms, while Max carried Susan, following him inside the motel. A tall, gangly teenage boy stood behind the reception counter, his face riddled with acne. He didn't smile as Logan requested two rooms. He did, however, inform him that there was only one room left in the establishment.  
  
"Damn," Logan muttered. "Guess Susan'll have to share with us." Max sighed deeply, but made no further comment. "How many beds are there?" Logan asked. The youth shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, is there any way that you could check?"  
  
"What do I look like, a fucking maid?" he spat with contempt. "Look for yourself."  
  
"Bite me," Max muttered on their way to the elevator, room key in hand.  
  
"That's one happy guy, huh?" Logan replied sarcastically. When they reached the room, Logan unlocked the door and peered inside. "Two beds," he announced. That comment received another lofty sigh from Max as she brushed past him and deposited Susan onto one of them.  
  
"I'm too tired to get a shower," she informed Logan.   
  
"Yeah, same here," he agreed. They both pulled off their socks, shoes, and jackets, Logan his shirt as well, and crawled into the remaining, unoccupied bed. Max tilted her head up for a kiss, and Logan obliged, but refused to allow her tongue to enter his mouth.  
  
"Logan," Max wheedled. "We can be quiet."  
  
"I don't know how to put this to you nicely Max, but you seem to be incapable of being quiet." Again she pouted, but let him wrap his arms around her.  
  
"Another time," he promised, kissing her lightly on the top of her head. "I want to do this just as much as you do, but corrupting a minor isn't very high on my priority list." He heard her chuckle softly. "Goodnight Max," he said.  
  
"Goodnight, Logan."  
  
~*~  
  
Max was jarred awake the next morning by a bright light boring through her eyelids, straight to her pupils. "What the fuck...?!" she exclaimed, breaking out of Logan's embrace to sit up straight in bed. There was Susan sitting on the other side of the room. The young girl had pulled up the window shade, letting the early morning sunlight stream into the room.  
  
"Shit, that's bright," Max complained, then looked guiltily at Susan, momentarily forgetting to censor her language. "Oh, I mean...whatever you think you heard, that's not what I said." At that moment, Logan stirred. He groaned in his sleep and reached out,  
groping at the air.  
  
"Max..." he murmured. Max smiled fondly and gave him a gentle shake.  
  
"Logan, wake up," she whispered. She glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand between the two beds. "It's 6:30. You wanted to be out of here by eight, right?"  
  
"Mmmmm," he moaned, then closed his eyes again. Max sighed. She knew exactly how to wake him up, but she couldn't quite do it with Susan sitting where she was.  
  
"Why don't you go take a shower," she suggested. The girl rolled her eyes, but complied anyway. When she heard running water, Max turned back to Logan. Her fingers rested on his shoulders, and she began to deliver a sensual massage. Again, he moaned.  
  
"Flip over," Max instructed. He did. Simultaneously, she bit his right nipple and squeezed his already-excited crotch. His eyes popped open, and the contented smile disappeared from his face.  
  
"What the...?!" he exclaimed. Max smiled innocently.  
  
"You're awake, then?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I think I'd say so. Damn, woman - I always knew that those hands were lethal weapons." With a smile, she leaned down to place a kiss on his upturned lips.  
  
"Mmm, but you know you love these hands anyway."  
  
"Of course. And I love you, too." Max smiled sadly.  
  
"I wish I could say the same," she replied.  
  
"It's okay, Max. No one expects you to go from soldier to lover overnight. We've got all the opportunity in the world. When the time is right, then you can say the words. But until then, your actions are enough."  
  
"Damn. How did I get lucky enough to deserve you?" Max inquired. "I'm sorry," she added.  
  
"How many times do we have to go through this?" Logan asked. "You have nothing to be sorry for or ashamed of." But their conversation was cut short as Susan emerged from the shower. Quickly, Max arose from her position half above, half beside him. "He's up," she announced.  
  
"I noticed," Susan commented dryly. There was a moment of awkward silence. Max broke it by pushing herself off of the bed.  
  
"Well, I'm going to take a shower, she said, squeezing Logan's arms as she went. "I'll be right back." With one last smile in his direction, she closed the door and turned on the water.  
  
"So," Susan began, looking at Logan. "You and Max, sleep together often?" As he clambered his way into his wheelchair, his face was bright red with embarrassment.  
  
"Not really," he said, doing a poor job of defending himself.  
  
"Thought so," the girl muttered. She stared idly out the window, obviously not wanting to talk anymore. With a sigh, Logan left her to brood while he made a quick phone call to Bling.  
  
"Logan?" his friend answered on the second ring.  
  
"Hey, Bling."  
  
"Where the hell are you?!"  
  
"Little family problem. A good friend's daughter bussed and walked her way to my place yesterday from all the way up in Oregon, and I'm on my way up there to bring her home. I should be back in a few days."  
  
"Oh." There was a pause. "Max with you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Really." Logan could practically see the smug smile on the bastard's face. "I guess I'll leave you two alone, then, and I'll see you when you get back."  
  
"Yeah. See you." He punched the power button off on his cell with a roll of his eyes just as Max was emerging from the shower, dripping wet.  
  
"All yours," she told Logan. He disappeared behind the door, leaving Max alone in the room with Susan.  
  
Max was not much good with children, especially not ones this age. Younger ones she could handle fairly well, but preteens confused her about as much as Zack did. "So..."  
  
The youth ignored her. So Max shrugged and continued towel drying her hair. No skin off of her nose. For a moment, she almost felt guilty for neglecting Susan. Almost. After all - it wasn't her fault if the kid wanted to be a little snot to the people that were trying to help her. In almost no time, Logan was back out of the bathroom. It was already 7:30.  
  
"Well, might as well hit it early," he said. The three filed out of the room in awkward silence.  
  
The silence continued for awhile even in the car. But then Logan stopped at a fast food joint, and the food perked Max up a bit, but Susan remained silent.  
  
"So what did Bling say?" Max asked Logan, setting her strawberry milkshake in the cupholder. Logan grinned.  
  
"Basically, he accused me of making it a romantic getaway when he heard you had come along."  
  
"Really. What did you say?"  
  
"Nothing - didn't warrant a comment."  
  
And the silence ruled again.  
  
~*~  
  
"Logan, can we get a cat?" Max piped up not long afterward.  
  
"*We*?" he inquired.  
  
"Well, we'd have to keep it at your place, 'cuz Cindy's allergic, but I want one."  
  
"Since when?"  
  
"Since I just saw a mother cat and her kittens by the side of the road back there. Please?"  
  
"You know, that's sweet, but also kind of scary. Since when do you like animals?"  
  
"Since I saw those kittens. *Please*?!"  
  
"I'll think about it."  
  
~*~  
  
"Logan?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How long 'till we get there?"  
  
"I dunno - a few hours."  
  
"Oh."  
  
~*~  
  
"Logan?"   
  
"What now?"  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"You sound like a three-year-old."  
  
"Oh. Well, are we?"  
  
"No. Not yet."  
  
~*~  
  
"Logan?"  
  
"Oh, God, do you *ever* shut up?"  
  
"No. Can we get the cat?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
~*~  
  
"Logan?"  
  
"No. Just don't talk."  
  
Max pouted.  
  
~*~  
  
"Logan?"  
  
"If you talk, I won't let you get the cat."  
  
"Fine."  
  
~*~  
  
After what seemed like days, the trio finally reached Susan's home. It was a large plot of land - nearly nine acres - covered by the house, the barn, the stables, and the chicken coops, but mainly by farmland. Max, having lived in big cities all her life, was in awe.  
  
"Come on," Susan said excitedly. "Let's go see my dad." She hopped out of the car and sprinted away toward where Max and Logan could see, in the far distance, a small, vague dark shape that was probably her dad working out in the fields. They followed slowly, giving Susan some time alone to reunite with her father, but they managed to reach the two in time to see her give him a giant bear hug.  
  
"Wow," her dad exclaimed. "Seems like someone's had a change of heart. What did it? Being away from little Amy for so long?"  
  
"No," Susan replied, jerking her thumb in Max and Logan's direction. "Being in a car with those two for that long did." Her father turned to smile at the two of them.  
  
"Well," he said. "That wasn't exactly the answer I was expecting, but what can I say? Thank you two so much for bringing her back."  
  
"No problem Peter," Logan said. The man reached out and, pulling off one of his work gloves, shook Logan's hand. He then turned to Max and did the same. Discreetly, she wiped the remainders of the sweaty handshake off of her own hand and observed the man.  
  
He was fairly short and pudgy, but tanned and wrinkled from years of hard farm labor. His hair, which was probably a dark color at one time, was now receding to the point where he'd be needing hair replacement surgery soon. Although, Max amended, being this far out in the country they probably hadn't even heard of cosmetic surgery of any kind.  
  
"I don't believe we've met," Peter said, and Max realized that she'd been staring. "I'm Peter Siznal - Susan's father, in case you hadn't figured that out already. And you are...?"  
  
"I'm Max - a friend of Logan's," she replied.  
  
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Max. Susan, why don't you show these two around the house, and give them the guest room. I'm sure they'll want to spend the night here rather than pay for another hotel room."  
  
"Oh, Pete, don't put yourself through the trouble," Logan said, but the elder man shook his head firmly.  
  
"It's no trouble. You're staying here, and that's final. Susan?" The much-happier child led them into the small farmhouse that the family shared. Passing through to the afore-mentioned guest room, they encountered a woman and a small child watching television in the living room.  
  
"Oh, Logan, so good to see you!" the woman exclaimed. She leapt out of her seat and vent down to give him a hug, the shook Max's hand warmly as the introduction process was repeated. This time, Logan took over.  
  
"Jamie, this is my...friend, Max. Max, this is Pete's wife, and Susan's mom, Jamie." Max gave him a withering look.  
  
"So I gathered," she said. Logan grinned.   
  
"You two are going to get along great," he said, directing the comment at both women.   
  
Max glanced across the room, noticing the Susan had disappeared. But the little redheaded girl was staring at her now, the cartoons on the screen long forgotten. Max wasn't sure what show she was watching, but it consisted of a group of animated people pulling mask after mask off of a man sitting tied up in a chair. "And I would have done it, too, if it wasn't for you meddling kids," he shouted.  
  
The toddler was making her way over to Max. Max smiled and bent down. "Hi," she said softly. The girl giggled and ran to hide behind her mother's leg. Jamie smiled.  
  
"This is Amy," she told Max. "You'll have to excuse her - she's just a little shy."  
  
Logan bent down and stretched a hand out to the small child. "You remember your Uncle Logan, right Amy?" he asked. She squealed with glee and launched herself into his arms. "Oopmh. You've gotten heavy." With that, he began to poke her stomach, tickling her. Both Max and Jamie looked on with smiles.  
  
"He's gonna make a great dad some day," the older woman commented. Max looked over her in surprise, then back at Logan. She had never really thought about it. Maybe it was because she had never seen him deal with children before. But as she watched him spin around the room, Amy clutched tight to his chest in a firm yet gentle, loving grip, she began to see Logan Cale in a different light. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, but before she could work out one comprehensible thought, a buzzer sounded from a room that Max assumed to be the kitchen, judging by the delicious smells wafting their way into her nostrils.  
  
"Excuse me a minute," Jamie said, racing out of the room. Logan looked over at Max, a bigger smile on his face than she had ever seen. And in that instant, she found what it was that she had been searching for since she and Logan had admitted their feelings for each other a few months ago.  
  
"I love you," she blurted out, her voice barely registering above that of a whisper. Logan stared. She repeated what she had said, louder this time, familiarizing herself with the words that she was sure she would be using over and over again starting today. Because today was the day she had realized that she didn't want to spend her life with anyone other than Logan. She wanted to see more of him as a daddy - the daddy of *their* children. She wasn't sure whether the thought scared her or excited her. Apparently, it excited Logan alot, because he plopped Amy into a nearby chair and grabbed Max by the waist, pulling her to him, and kissing her more passionately than ever. But they guiltily broke apart when Amy voiced a curious gurgle.  
  
"Shit," Logan whispered, panting. "I guess a quickie right here wouldn't be a good idea, huh?' he asked. Max grinned.  
  
"It's a tempting idea, though," she commented, trailing a hand across his well-muscled abdomen. He caught her wrist before she could go any lower.  
  
"I love you so much, Max," he said. "As soon as we get out of here, before we even get home, we're stopping at a motel so that I can spend an entire night making love to you. That sound like a plan?"  
  
"Mmm, definitely," Max agreed. "Let's just hope I can last that long." They kissed again, shorter this time, then backed away just in time, as Jamie entered the room from one side, and Peter from the other. Quickly, Max sought out something to distract her. She dropped into the chair next to Amy.  
  
"Hi," she tried again. This time, the girl smiled shyly at her, but made no attempt to run away or hide.  
  
"Those are lovely earrings," Max commented, indicating with her hand to the diamond studs that looked gigantic decorating Amy's tiny earlobes. They were obviously a treasure stolen from her mother's jewelry box. She burst into a fit of the giggles. And, sure enough, when Max asked where she had gotten them, she pointed to Jamie, sitting next to her husband on the couch, her hand resting on his knee. They look so happy together - like they've been that way forever. I wonder if people think that when they look at me and Logan., Max thought.  
  
"Well," Peter finally spoke up. "Who's ready for food? We've got fresh pork chops on the grill already."  
  
"I get the biggest piece!" Susan yelled from up a flight of stairs to Max's left. And she absently noted that she and Logan still hadn't gotten a chance to put their stuff in the guest room. But right now, the smell of food was too tempting.  
  
"If you wash your hands and come down, I might let you arm wrestle me for it," Peter called, winking at Max and Logan. "C'mon, you two," he said. "It's dinner time."  
  
In the kitchen, the six of them sat around a square wooden table, extra chairs squeezed in to make room for Max and Logan. Taking a cue from the rest of the family, they bowed their heads as Jamie said grace. She thanked God for all that they had, but especially for having their daughter back, and for the friends that were able to join them. Max saw her reach out and squeeze Susan's hand before the prayer was over. Susan squeezed back. Under the table, Max did the same to Logan, and they shared a smile.  
  
The solemn mood was broken, however, when Peter brought out the huge plate of meat - enough to feed at least three or four X-5's, Max noted, much less a family.   
  
"Pork: it's the other white meat," he joked. "Dig in, everybody - there's plenty to go around."   
  
And there certainly was. Even Max was too full for the peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream that Jamie produced for desert, but apparently Amy was not.  
  
"What on earth are you up to now?" her father asked playfully. Amy's hands, face, and red hair were covered in ice cream from where Jamie had made the mistake of setting the carton in front of her. "Susan, go clean this munchkin up," Peter said.   
  
"Susie! Bath time!" Amy babbled excitedly. Susan rolled her eyes, but Max thought she detected a hint of a smile on the girl's face as she carried her baby sister into the bathroom.  
  
"Did Susan show you where the guest room is?" Jamie asked Max and Logan.  
Simultaneously, they shook their heads. Jamie let out a sigh. "Well, follow me, then," she said. They did just that, grabbing their luggage from the living room as they went. Jamie led them up the stairs, past the bathroom where Amy and Susan were, to a small room at the end of the hall. "It's nothing much..." she started, but Logan interrupted.  
  
"It's perfect, Jamie," he said. "We can't thank you enough for doing all of this."  
  
"No problem. We're glad to see you, Logan. Good night."  
  
"Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!" Amy chorused from down the hall. With a smile, Jamie shut the door. Max turned to Logan with a predatory smile and pounced. He landed on the bed beneath her with a thud.  
  
"Jesus, Max!" he exclaimed. "Not now! I promised you a motel room, surrounded by perfect strangers - not by people I've known since I was five!"  
  
"But..."  
  
"No buts, Max. Tomorrow, at the very latest." She sighed as he pushed her off of him. He bent down to unzip his red duffel bag, then straightened back up and pulled off his black polo shirt. Max made her way behind him and, standing on tiptoe, cupped his ass in her hands.   
  
"But Logan," she purred huskily. "I want sex *now*."  
  
"Not gonna work, Max. Just go to bed." She sighed. But eventually, after having a shower and pulling on one of his old T-shirts to sleep in, she drifted off, wrapped safely in his arms. And she had to admit that it was almost better than sex. Almost.   
  
~*~  
  
Max sighed in her sleep, snuggling closer to Logan and burying her face in his warm, bare chest. He responded by wrapping both of his arms even tighter around her. But the peacefulness only lasted a few seconds, however, because Max was soon aware that their bed was...moving. Almost vibrating, but not quite. More like...  
  
More like Amy jumping up and down by their feet. Max groaned. She hated mornings.  
  
"Hi!" Amy said brightly.  
  
"Hi," Logan murmured from above her. Amy dropped down on her knees beside them.  
  
"Watcha doing?" she asked curiously.  
  
"We're sleeping," Max said. "Shh - it's a secret. Don't tell anyone, okay?" The little girl frowned for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration, then grinned.  
  
"Okay," she said. With that, she bounded out of the room. Logan chuckled.  
  
"Oh, you wicked woman," he teased as he flipped her over, nuzzling her neck.  
  
"Tsk, tsk, Logan - what happened to not corrupting minors?" she reprimanded him, but let out an involuntary gasp when he pinched her nipple through the thin T-shirt she wore and continued his assault on her throat. She responded with equal fervor, arching up to grind her pelvis against his. She made a sound - somewhat of a growl - deep in her throat and flipped him over.  
  
"Max," he gasped. She straddled him and reached for the waistband of his boxers, but he reached out a hand to grab her wrist. "Max, I was fooling around, but now you have to believe me that we *can't* do this here. Will waiting a few hours for us to get a room be *that* difficult?"  
  
"Yes," Max stated simply, running her hands up and down his chest. "I have been without your sexy body for the past three nights, which is three nights too many in my opinion. I want you *now*." Logan sighed.  
  
"I didn't want to have to do this, but..." he began. Before Max could react he had grabbed her by the waist and had her pinned to the bed beneath him by her wrists, which he held above her head with one hand. With the other, he poked and prodded about her waist, tickling her mercilessly. Max burst into helpless giggles.  
  
"Allright! Allright! Uncle!" she cried. Logan rolled off of her so that they lay side-by-side, facing one another, gasping for air.  
  
"Don't take this the wrong way, Max," he said seriously. "I wish we could be getting it on twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, but just bear with me for a little while longer, & we can be out of here, okay?"  
  
She smiled. "Okay," she said. He leaned forward and cupped the back of her head in his hands, giving her a light kiss on the forehead.  
  
"Hey, Logan?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I know. I love you, too, Max. Now whaddaya say we get dressed & get some grub."  
  
"Sounds good to me." They dressed at a leisurely pace, and arrived downstairs in time to grab a bowl of cereal.  
  
"What time are you two planning on leaving?" Jamie asked. Logan glanced sidewards at Max, who shrugged, but eyed him meaningfully.  
  
"Well, we kinda wanted to hit the road early. You know - to avoid the traffic and all."  
  
"Right. Good idea," Pete spoke up. "You should probably get on the road soon, then. You all packed up?"  
  
"Pretty much." Max said. "It'll only take us a few minutes to finish."  
  
"Well, why don't you load up the car now?" Jamie suggested. "Pete and I will get Amy and Susan up so they can say goodbye."  
  
Logan nodded, and followed Max up the stairs. As soon as they were out of Jamie and Pete's view, he pinched her left cheek. When she turned around to smack his fingers and scold him, they were on the top step, so he backed her against the wall, placing a hot, wet kiss on her lips.  
  
"Hypocrite," she accused when he pulled away. "Just a little while ago, you were lecturing me on patience, before that you wanted sex, and before *that*, you wouldn't even let me give you a hand job in the car."  
  
"What can I say?" he shrugged. "You're too much to resist."  
  
"Good. Then don't resist when I push you into the cold shower that you need. Go pack." With a resigned sigh, he did so.  
  
Packing didn't take long, as they had expected. The pair even had time to take a shower (cold, for both of them). When they were clean, Max stuffed their toiletries into a bag, while Logan folded their clothes into another. They carried them out to the car, opened the hatchback , and threw them in. And just as they were heading back inside the house to call to the Siznals, the screen door to the porch swung open, and they filed outward like a family of ducks: first Jamie, then Susan, then Amy, while Pete brought up the rear. All six people clustered around the driver's side door.  
  
"It was wonderful seeing you again, Logan," Jamie said.   
  
"Ditto," he assured her, pulling her into a bear hug. He shook hands with Pete, then turned to Amy and Susan. "You stay out of trouble now, young lady," he told Susan. Then to Amy: "And you make sure she does, okay?"  
  
"Oh-tay," she answered sweetly. He bent down to enfold the both of them in his arms. When he released them, it was Max's turn for good-byes.  
  
"Thank you so much for your hospitality," she said to Jamie and Pete.  
  
"It was a pleasure having you," Pete said warmly. Both he and Jamie hugged her. Awkwardly, Max hugged them back. Even after over a decade of freedom, she was still wary when people she barely knew embraced her.  
  
"You're welcome to come back for a visit any time," Jamie added. Then, as Logan had done, Max bent down to say goodbye to Amy and Susan. She hugged Susan first, and heard the girl whisper in her ear:  
  
"Thank you." When she pulled away, Max winked. Then she hugged little Amy. And, remembering that, inadvertently, it was this child that had brought her and Logan together, she whispered the same thing in her ear that Susan had. Max knew that there was no way that the three-year old could have known what the words themselves meant. But when Amy smiled at her, it was almost as if she did.  
  
"Thank you again for having us," Logan said, and he and Max climbed into the Aztec. They drove slowly down the driveway of the Siznal's farm house, waving until the family was out of sight.  
  
"So," Logan spoke up after a few minutes of silence. "When and where are we stopping?" Max glanced at the clock on the dashboard.  
  
"Well, it's seven-thirty now," she said. "Why don't we stop at around one-thirty, two o'clock? We can eat, get a room, & still have a few hours left to kill."  
  
"Souds like a plan."  
  
~*~  
  
When the car finally stopped, both Max and Logan were tired and cramped from the long ride. They hopped out of the Aztec simultaneously, stretching theiraching muscles.  
  
"So...food?" Max regarded Logan sideways as she cracked her neck.  
  
"Room," Logan corrected her. "Then food." She nodded in agreement, too tired to argue. All she wanted to do right now was to get out of this damn car. Long periods of time in small spaces was just not her thing. As soon as she was free, she bent up and down a few times, cracked her back, and stretched her arms, then wiggled them at her sides. "That feels better," she said. "So...room?" She followed Logan across the parking lot of the hotel that they had pulled into until they were actually in the building.  
  
"We'd like one room," he told the woman behind the counter. Fortunately, she was much kinder than the teenager at the last hotel. Too kind, in fact, Max noted as the older woman unsubtly looked Logan up and down and grinned flirtatiously.  
  
"Let's get upstairs," Max purred in his ear as soon as he had the key, stroking his chest and making it clear that he was taken. When he wasn't looking, she flashed a victory smile at the perky blonde, whose nametag read 'Vicky'. Vicky in turn glared and mouthed the word 'Bitch'. Max's smile just widened. If Logan had any idea what he was being pulled into, he didn't acknowledge it, but instead wrapped an arm around Max's waist and led her up to their room, carrying both of their luggage.  
  
They didn't waste much time up there - after Max had taken the key from Logan and opened the door, they simply dumped their suitcases on the double bed and left again, Max pocketing the key until they were ready to return. Within minutes, they were passing through the hotel lobby again, and Max could feel Vicky's gaze even as they walked out the door into the bright sunlight.  
  
~*~  
  
"Where to, m'lady?" Logan teased as they scoured the streets for a halfway-decent looking restaurant. Max stared thoughtfully out her window.  
  
"Let's try over there," she said, and pointed to a small road leading out of town. Short of other options, Logan shrugged and followed her lead, which turned out to be a good call. The road led the couple into another, smaller town that looked as if the Pulse had never even hit it. Amidst the few houses sat a church, a school, and, near the outskirts, a restaurant specializing in homemade Italian food - "The best of Italy brought right to your table!" the sign promised. She looked over at Logan, who shrugged.  
  
"Let's go for it," he said, pulling into the parking lot. Getting in was no problem, as the establishment appeared to be deserted, so Max and Logan were given their choice of tables.  
  
"You pick," Max instructed. "I already picked where to eat." Logan grabbed her hand and led her to a table in a secluded corner, next to a window so that her face was illuminated by the day's last golden rays of sun. Within minutes, a bored-looking waitress approached their table. She unceremoniously deposited two grease-stained menus in front of the couple and disappeared. She rematerialized soon afterwards, and Max and Logan were able to order their food, which arrived soon after.   
  
The sky had darkened while they had been eating, but the town was installed with streetlamps, which they walked under. As they continued through the streets, they spotted and ice cream shop. Unable to resist, they bought triple-scoop cones, and devoured them while walking hand-in-hand past row after row of cozy houses.  
  
"Logan?" Max piped up after a silent pause.  
  
"Hmm?" he murmured.  
  
"What did your childhood house look like?" Logan turned to study her in the dim light.  
  
"Where did that come from?" he asked. Max shrugged.  
  
"Looking at all these houses makes me wish even more than usual that I had had a regular childhood instead of Manticore. But I guess I'll have to settle for living vicariously through you."  
  
"Well, it was big. We had money, as you know, and my dad was an incredible show-off. Worse than Margo and Jonas. We had three floors not including the attic and the basement. A big garage for my parents' cars, a grand piano in the living room - your stereotypical mansion."  
  
"Sure beats the barracks," Max said, and Logan's heart went out to her. He tugged at her hand so that she was standing next to him and caressed her cheek.  
  
"If there was a way, I wish that I could have gone back in time and kept you from all that. Given you everything you wanted."  
  
"I have everything I want now," she reminded him. "And if I hadn't come from Manticore, you and I might never have met." She stood on her tiptoes and reached up to give him a kiss. "But the sentiment is much appreciated," she assured. "No one has ever said anything that sweet to me before."  
  
"Hmm. Should we be sending Lydecker a thank-you card then?" he asked, kissing her.  
  
"Definitely," she agreed. She kissed him again. "One with cute little hearts and teddy bears all over it."  
  
Logan moved his hand from her face to her waist and drew her closer, kissing her with a fervor that she returned tenfold. Soon, their melted ice cream was forgotten and they were on their way back to the car. But before they reached their destination, they passed a small brick house with a lawn sprinkler sitting outside. A mischievous smile on her face, Max grabbed Logan's hand and pulled him towards it. Within seconds, they were drenched. But all Max could think of was how good Logan's lips felt pressing against hers, and she was lost in the feel of his hands running all over her body.  
  
~*~  
  
They walked right past the snitty receptionist without even a glance her way, but Max took pleasure in knowing that she could clearly see the way Logan's hand rested in her back pocket. Opening the door proved to be a challenge, because they were in such a rush to undress one another. Logan's shirt was already partially unbuttoned, as was the fly of Max's jeans. Her legs were wrapped securely around his waist as he backed her against the wall next to the door of their room.  
  
"Inside," she finally breathed in his ear. He managed to disentangle himself from her grasp long enough to draw the electronic keycard from his back pocket and insert it into the appropriate slot. After three tries, which increased in difficulty as Max kissed and nipped at his neck, it finally popped open.  
  
Once it was closed, there was a flurry of activity. In approximately two minutes, both Max and Logan were undressed and under the covers. Logan ran his hands across her hips and smiled up at her.  
  
"You're so beautiful," he informed her with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, well, pretty is as pretty does," Max remarked, pinning him beneath her. "We'll have time to talk later. Right now, I'm worried about more important things." With that, their mouths collided in an explosion of passion. Even at their frenzied pace, they found a rhythm and quickly adapted their motions to it.  
  
The pleasure they experienced long into the night more than made up for the time that they had missed.  
  
~*~  
  
Max awoke the next morning pleasantly satiated. She glanced quickly and, upon seeing neither Susan nor Amy, snuggled back beside Logan, burying her face in her chest, sufficiently convinced that she was not dreaming.  
  
For about an hour at Max's approximation, she lay beside him, impatiently waiting for his eyes to flutter open. When they didn't, she checked the clock, disappointed to see that it was only five o'clock.  
  
I keep forgetting that normal humans require sleep, Max mused. She propped herself up on one elbow and regarded Logan fondly. Finally, she slipped quietly out of his arms and headed for the bathroom to shower.  
  
Bright light burned her eyes when she flipped the switch, and she groaned. With her eyes closed, she pulled back the curtain and climbed into the shower. Her eyes stayed closed as she let the hot water caress her tired, aching muscles, strained from last night's passion. She let it calm her, tuning out everything - including the annoying smell of the cheap guest soap that seemed to magically appear in every hotel room across this country and the next - until there was nothing but the sound and feel of the steaming hot water on her skin.  
  
So absorbed was she in the sensation that even her Manticore training shut down, and she failed to hear Logan enter the tiny bathroom and slip into the shower behind her. She jumped at first, startled, but his touch soothed her. He caressed her hips with his hands, and he took her again and again, until the hot water ran cold.  
  
~*~  
  
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